Making The Right First Impression

© McCorkle Creations

Covers are a book's first impression. They can mean the difference between browsers picking a book up (or clicking on it online) or passing it by. We all like to think readers don't judge a book by its cover, but they often do when it comes to choosing it. I'm guilty of it myself, especially when it comes to reading indie authors. I love indie books and I make it a point to read a lot of them. However, if an indie book has a bad cover I will pass it up because it is a reflection of how much time, effort, and/or money the author was willing to put into it. And, if they weren't willing to put in enough time/effort/money on their cover, my fear is that they haven't put it into their actual book either.

The amount of books out there is increasing daily, meaning an author's competition for simply getting that click or pick up, is terribly high. Making a good first impression is as vital to a book as it is to a person going to an interview or making a public appearance. To convince consumers to spend their money, indie authors and publishers must be willing to do the distance when it comes to a great book cover. Don't worry, that doesn't always mean spending a lot of money if you aren't artistically inclined. It means doing your research, finding the right cover designer for you and your book, and collaborating well to come up with a design that is both marketable (knowing what's hot in the genre, what works and doesn't work), and will stand out.  Go the distance for your cover and it will go the distance for you.

For more, check out my website: McCorkle Creations

Cover Reveal For Dawn Malone

I'm thrilled to be part of the cover reveal for my latest client (and friend!) Dawn Malone's middle grade novel, Bingo Summer. 

     It was a blast working with Dawn on this cover. Her vision was fantastic and we worked together splendidly to create the perfect cover
     Here is a bit about the book:
     On her thirteenth birthday, Summer Haas scratches the lottery ticket her mom tucked into her birthday card and the down-on-their-luck family become instant millionaires. Then the attention gets crazy in their small Illinois town, and the family moves north to ‘disappear’ in the Chicago suburbs. Summer’s new home might as well be on the Moon, it’s so different from where she used to live.

     Suddenly, Summer is a candidate for student council, trades her t-shirt and jeans for mall-brand clothes, and throws a party for her entire grade even though she didn't invite a single guest. Everyone wants Summer to be someone other than herself, including the super-popular Suri who Summer hopes will be her new best friend. There’s Mara who wants Summer to forget about competing with her for third base when softball season comes. And Summer just wants to avoid Dink and Anna even though she has more in common with them than she wants to admit.

     But when Mara discovers how Summer’s family made their millions, and threatens to tell the whole school, Summer needs a friend more than ever. Can Summer fit in AND stay true to herself?

   Look for Bingo Summer this May and keep up with Dawn at this link for more news. 

Happy New Year To All

Wishing you all a fun and safe new year's eve celebration, and a prosperous and happy 2014. I'm looking forward to the fantastic authors I have lined up to work with in the new year designing both covers and interiors. A big thank you to all of you whom I designed for this year, it was a pleasure and an honor.

Readymade Covers: Romance & Scifi

A few of my latest readymade cover designs that are for sale:

These two highly customized images start at $40 (couple) and $75 (Time Traveler) and include your name and title in the font of your choice, as well as minor changes. For more info, see my website.

Readymade Covers: Romance & More

A few of my latest readymade cover designs that are for sale:

These two highly customized images start at $50 (Nymph) and $40 (Couple) and include your name and title in the font of your choice. For more info, see my website.

Readymade Cover: Leatherbound & Romance

A few of my latest readymade cover designs that are for sale:

These two highly customized images start at $50 (Leatherbound) and $75 (couple) and include your name and title in the font of your choice, as well as minor changes. For more info, see my website.

Readymade Covers: Romance & Futuristic

A few of my latest readymade cover designs that are for sale:

This highly customized image start at $75 and include your name and title in the font of your choice, as well as minor changes. For more info, see my website.

A New Home Base

Some of you may have seen on FaceBook and Twitter that I have set up a new website. If not, drop by, I'd love to have you over. CP Design is becoming McCorkle Creations. Don't worry though, no need to follow me again on all the social media sites, I'll still be listed under CP Design here on my blog, and on Twitter.

Why the change? Becuase I'm expanding! Now that I work for two presses, have done contracted work for bestselling and acclaimed authors, my needs are outgrowing my blog. You will still be able to find me here, but my home base will be on my website. For all the latest news and specials, I hope you'll visit me there. You'll also find all my latest designs there, both contracted by authors and publishers, and readymade designs that are for sale. Hope to see you there!

Website

~Heather

Custom Cover Art for Sale: Armageddon Song

The following is art designed by myself from combining multiple photos, altering colors, and adding special effects to ensure you get a unique cover or piece of art. These designs are for sale at a lower price than if I had specifically designed them for you. When you purchase them I can alter them further, add your name and title, and size them for all retail outlets. To purchase, click on the Contact Me button on the right hand side bar. The price will be based on how much you need done (additional images incur additional charges of $12 per image). Prices start as low as $80 for the art as an eBook cover designed by me. Here is the latest addition:

You'll get your choice of font from the hundreds of unique fonts available to me, affects added to the font, color changes or slight alterations made to the art, affects such as paint, poster, or other added to the art.

Enter To Win an eBook Cover Design

Cover Time! Back to school time is also prime release time for books. Part of a successful release is a fantastic cover. It is your first impression, and we all know, you only get one chance to make a first impression! With eBook covers starting at only $100 and full paperback covers starting at only $250 for a custom cover made by me, it has never been more affordable. And of course, subscribers get 10% off those prices! Even more exciting, I now offer readymade covers for even cheeper. Worried that they aren't custom enough? No worries, they are a minimum of two combined images that have been altered in color, appearance, and more (special effects added in most cases) to make them truly unique. If you choose one of these readymade covers, the price is only $80 (and yep, you get 10% off that too!) for me to alter them to your specific needs with special fonts, color changes, or different special effects added. These are not your run of the mill 'readymade' covers of low quality that you'll find many other designers offering.  And a Contest... To celebrate the book release season I'm doing a special giveaway: a simple eBook cover design (up to two images chosen by you with my assistance and input)! That's $100 value! Need the next step up (premium front cover with up to five images), you only get charged $50, and yes, you'll get 10% off that! So how do you enter this contest? Glad you asked. You must be signed up for my newsletter to enter. Each contestant will get five entries for each person they get to sign up for my newsletter. What do your friends who are signing up for my newsletter get? An entry into the contest of course, because chances are they'll be authors and they could use a cover either now or in the near future. Spread the word however you like, through blog posts, Facebook, Twitter, or even forwarding this email (just please don't spam your friends) and start amassing your points. Contest runs from August 1st through August 30th with the winner announced September 1st. If you aren't already subscribed to my newsletter, all you have to do to enter is subscribe. If you're already subscribed, or to obtain more entries, have your friends CLICK HERE and sign up (There is a spot on the link for the person to enter your name so I'll know you referred them). To use the link for a post, just click on it and copy and paste the address. You can also email me to let me know you've referred people, and I'll let you know whether or not they signed up so you know how many points you're amassing. Want the HTML? Here you go:  <!-- MAILCHIMP SUBSCRIBE LINK --> <a href="http://eepurl.com/nExiL">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> And now for a peek at some of the fabulous readymade cover art that I've begun to create for you:  Dystopian / Spy /  Whether you have a dystopian, a thriller, or a just a novel about a tough chick, this may be the cover for you. It is very custom with three combined images and some extremely special effects to make it look very unique. One of my favorites! Remember, fonts can be changed, images can be added, and colors can be altered.  Paranormal Whether you have a paranormal, urban fantasy, martial arts, or straight fantasy, this may be the cover for you. It is very custom with three combined images and some extremely special effects to make it look very unique. One of my favorites! Remember, fonts can be changed, images can be added, and colors can be altered.  Dystopian Whether you have a dystopian, a thriller, or a just a novel about a tough chick, this may be the cover for you. It is very custom with three combined images and some extremely special effects to make it look very unique. Another of my favorites! Remember, fonts can be changed, images can be added, and colors can be altered.

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Cover Art For Sale: Hell Hath No...

The following is art designed by myself from combining multiple photos, altering colors, and adding special effects to ensure you get a unique cover or piece of art. These designs are for sale at a lower price than if I had specifically designed them for you. When you purchase them I can alter them further, add your name and title, and size them for all retail outlets. To purchase, click on the Contact Me button on the right hand side bar. The price will be based on how much you need done (additional images incur additional charges of $12 per image). Prices start as low as $80 for the art as an eBook cover designed by me. Here is the latest addition:

You'll get your choice of font from the hundreds of unique fonts available to me, affects added to the font, color changes or slight alterations made to the art, affects such as paint, poster, or other added to the art.

Cover Art For Sale: Lady of the Lake

The following is art designed by myself from combining multiple photos, altering colors, and adding special effects to ensure you get a unique cover or piece of art. These designs are for sale at a lower price than if I had specifically designed them for you. When you purchase them I can alter them further, add your name and title, and size them for all retail outlets. To purchase, click on the Contact Me button on the right hand side bar. The price will be based on how much you need done (additional images incur additional charges of $12 per image). Prices start as low as $80 for the art as an eBook cover designed by me. Here is the latest addition:

You'll get your choice of font from the hundreds of unique fonts available to me, affects added to the font, color changes or slight alterations made to the art, affects such as paint, poster, or other added to the art.

Cover Art For Sale: Dystopian/Spy Survivor

The following is art designed by myself from combining multiple photos, altering colors, and adding special effects to ensure you get a unique cover or piece of art. These designs are for sale at a lower price than if I had specifically designed them for you. When you purchase them I can alter them further, add your name and title, and size them for all retail outlets. To purchase, click on the Contact Me button on the right hand side bar. The price will be based on how much you need done (additional images incur additional charges of $12 per image). Prices start as low as $80 for the art as an eBook cover designed by me. Here is the latest addition:

You'll get your choice of font from the hundreds of unique fonts available to me, affects added to the font, color changes or slight alterations made to the art, affects such as paint, poster, or other added to the art.

Cover Art for Sale: Icy Woman

The following is art designed by myself from combining multiple photos, altering colors, and adding special effects to ensure you get a unique cover or piece of art. These designs are for sale at a lower price than if I had specifically designed them for you. When you purchase them I can alter them further, add your name and title, and size them for all retail outlets. To purchase, click on the Contact Me button on the right hand side bar. The price will be based on how much you need done (additional images incur additional charges of $12 per image). Prices start as low as $80 for the art as an eBook cover designed by me. Here is the latest addition:

You'll get your choice of font from the hundreds of unique fonts available to me, affects added to the font, color changes or slight alterations made to the art, affects such as paint, poster, or other added to the art.

Cover Art for Sale: Woman in Moonlight

The following is art designed by myself from combining multiple photos, altering colors, and adding special effects to ensure you get a unique cover or piece of art. These designs are for sale at a lower price than if I had specifically designed them for you. When you purchase them I can alter them further, add your name and title, and size them for all retail outlets. To purchase, click on the Contact Me button on the right hand side bar. The price will be based on how much you need done (additional images incur additional charges of $12 per image). Prices start as low as $80 for the art as an eBook cover designed by me. Here is the latest addition:

You'll get your choice of font from the hundreds of unique fonts available to me, affects added to the font, color changes or slight alterations made to the art, affects such as paint, poster, or other added to the art.

Cover Art for Sale: Girl Behind Ice

The following is art designed by myself from combining multiple photos, altering colors, and adding special effects to ensure you get a unique cover or piece of art. These designs are for sale at a lower price than if I had specifically designed them for you. When you purchase them I can alter them further, add your name and title, and size them for all retail outlets. To purchase, click on the Contact Me button on the right hand side bar. The price will be based on how much you need done (additional images incur additional charges of $12 per image). Prices start as low as $80 for the art as an eBook cover designed by me. Here is the latest addition:

You'll get your choice of font from the hundreds of unique fonts available to me, affects added to the font, color changes or slight alterations made to the art, affects such as paint, poster, or other added to the art.

Client Cover Reveal: Awakening

Author Jeanie Grey and I had so much fun working together on her second book cover that she asked me to re-make the cover for her first book, Awakening. This one was just as fun. Jeanie is an author that digs deep and becomes a creative part of the cover process, which I love! Here is the result:

Congratulations Jeanie, and thanks for making me a part of your book!

Two Cover Reveals For Yours Truly

New Covers were in order for both my novels, The Secret of Spruce Knoll and Channeler's Choice (the first two novels in my channeler series). To celebrate, The Secret of Spruce Knoll is only .99 cents today and tomorrow on both Amazon and B&N!

Cover Art For Sale: Image 15

For those of you who either need inspiration, or are looking for a less expensive way to get a fantastic, unique cover design, I have great news! I've added a new feature where you can purchase art that I have put together during my free time, for a discounted price. The fonts on the cover below can be either deleted or changed depending on your needs. Here is the latest addition:

These images are art designed by myself from combining multiple photos, altering colors, and adding special effects. These designs are for sale at a lower price than if I had specifically designed them for you. You may purchase them as is (without the watermark of course) or you may purchase them and have me alter them further, add your name and title, and size them for all retail outlets. To discuss purchase or use in a cover designed by me, click on the Contact Me button on the right hand side bar. The price will be based on how much you need done.

Cover Reveal: Awakening 2

Just a few days ago, erotic romance author Jeanie Gray revealed the cover I designed for her latest book, Awakening 2. Don't worry my younger friends, this one is all audiences approved (the cover, not the book). Jeanie was a lot of fun to work with and I look forward to working with her again in the near future. Here is the reveal of Awakening 2: